BOSTON — Curious about the Rangers’ attitude toward their horrid overtime playoff record? Just ask Steve Eminger whether he’s aware of it.
“No, what is it?” the Blueshirts defenseman said coolly yesterday, one day removed from a 3-2 overtime loss to the Bruins in Game 1 of this Eastern Conference semifinal, taking the Rangers to 3-11 in their past 14 postseason games that went longer than 60 minutes.
So, Steve, looking ahead to tomorrow’s Game 2 at TD Garden, and even beyond that, is there cause for concern?
“No, not at all,” he said.
After getting dominated — to use coach John Tortorella’s word — for the whole of the overtime period, the Rangers finally caved by giving up the game-winner to Brad Marchand, a result of a play on their own rush in which Derick Brassard tried to make a cross-ice pass that was broken up by towering Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara.
“If we make that play at the end, it’s a 3-on-2 there and Brass makes a great pass across, and Chara has a 8-foot stick and intercepts that and they come back and score,” Eminger said. “I mean, that could have been the other way, as well.”
Yes, it could have been, but it wasn’t. And for a long time now, once a playoff game reaches the end of regulation and the Zamboni comes on the ice, the Rangers might as well pack up and get ready for the next one.
But that isn’t their mentality. Not yet, at least.
“I don’t think it’s playing with their head at all,” Tortorella said. “It’d be nice to win one, but I don’t think it’s gone that far. I’m not so sure it was a bounce of puck [Thursday] night. We were dominated in overtime.”
Through the first eight games of this postseason, the Rangers have played three overtime games and lost them all. The first two were in the first round against the Capitals, with Game 2 going to the extra period scoreless and Game 5 going in tied 1-1.
Going into Thursday night’s extra period, the Rangers seemed to be dragging a bit, and that resulted in an interference call on Derek Dorsett giving momentum to the Bruins that was never returned.
“I definitely think they got some momentum off that power play,” said rookie Chris Kreider, who has played 22 career playoff games and has a 2-6 record when they reach overtime. “They surged and their scorers took advantage.”
The question now has to be whether there is any existing effect from all of these tough losses piling up.
“The mindset is just to score a goal and not make any mistakes that wind up in our own net,” said Rick Nash, who was better Thursday, but still is scoreless this postseason. “It’s one of those things where you want to get the puck down low and battle there to get chances.”
As can be expected, the goal is to move on. Just how easy that will be is yet to be determined.
“I think it’s short-term memory for us,” Nash said. “It’s over and done with. Back to the game.”